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"Bill," Dipper cooed, attempting to coax his boyfriend out of bed.

Bill groaned in annoyance, rolling over, burying his face into the pillow, and sticking his butt into the air. For an ex-dream demon, he didn't have much control over his sleep cycle. Whenever he did manage to fall asleep, he never wanted to get up.

Dipper grinned and rolled his eyes at the blond's antics, endearingly childish as they were. "Bill," he tried again softly, holding out the last two letters of the name with an amused lilt to his tone. He leaned over and nosed the edge of Bill's ear, smiling.

When another, albeit muffled, groan was all he got in reply, Dipper chuckled. "We're going to the beach today, remember?"

Instantly, Bill shot up with a gasp, wide-eyed and apparently bushy-tailed. "Pine Tree," Bill's voice carried an accusing tone. "Why didn't you wake me up earlier?! What time is it?! Are we too late?! C'mon, Pine Tree, let's get going! We've gotta make up for your shortcomings!" He tried to scramble out of bed, but only managed to get tangled in the covers.

Dipper laughed at his sudden enthusiasm and the resulting encasement of fabric. "Says the short one," the brunet retorted, lacking no humor. He reached down to gently untangle the excited blond, and took the opportunity to lift him in his arms, bridal style. "Calm down, you overly-sugared corn chip. It's about nine in the morning, we've got plenty of time to go down to the beach. Let's at least eat breakfast first, alright?"

Bill wiggled around in Dipper's grip until he could awkwardly climb onto Dipper's back, wrapping his legs around the tall man's waist and his arms around his neck. "Well then, what are we waiting for?! Onwards, Pine Tree!"

Oddly enough, Dipper was used to getting this sort of treatment form the blond, so he simply laughed again and teased, "You're such a kid!"

"I'm older than your entire feeble dimension, now, mush!" Bill replied automatically. He bounced on his boyfriend's back and pointed forward, as though that would make him go.

Dipper snorted at that, taking the hand that was motioning in the direction Bill wanted him to move and placed a kiss on his knuckles before complying to his demands and lumbering off to the hotel room's kitchenette with a bit of residual grogginess from sleep that turned his steps into sock-footed shuffles.

Bill rested his head on Dipper's shoulder contentedly, closing his eyes and letting out a happy hum as a soft smile graced his lips.

-»^«-

"Bill, you've gotta put on sunscreen," Dipper gripped the shorter male's wrist before he could run off. He was hoping he wouldn't regret not having bought that backpack leash off Amazon. The two had just gotten to the beach, and Bill had already attempted to run off before Dipper could even set down the huge bag of things he'd brought in the name of preparedness.

Bill looked back at Dipper questioningly. "You mean that dumb white stuff humans recently started dousing themselves in whenever they come to places like this?"

Dipper rolled his eyes. "Yes, that. Now come here and put some on, or you'll regret it later."

"I never make decisions I regret!" Bill shouted proudly, puffing out his chest.

Dipper raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?"

Bill narrowed his eyes and pointed accusingly at his boyfriend. "I know what you're thinking about, and I'll have you know I don't regret it in the slightest!

"Well, what about-"

"Nothing!"

Dipper snorted, but decided to let it be. "Well, you're as pale as mayonnaise, so you'll definitely regret not wearing sun screen. Sun burn hurts like a bitch."

"You used to be even paler than this!" Bill protested.

"Yes, but that was back before I went to Gravity Falls and found out how much I actually enjoyed being outside." Dipper countered. It was true; going out into the forest near daily had not only given him plenty of muscle mass, but had also tanned him. For once, he was actually glad of how hot Gravity Falls' summers could get, because if he hadn't been hot enough to take off his shirt all those times, he'd be sporting a farmer's tan defined enough to get him into the Guinness Book of World Records. As it was, his farmer's tan was only noticeable if one tried to look for it.

Bill huffed, pouting. Dipper chuckled and tugged him closer, leaning down to give him a kiss. Bill's pout only lessened slightly.

Shaking his head, Dipper turned around and dug into the bag he'd brought, looking for the sun screen. He caught Bill's shadow retreating slowly out of the corner of his eye. "Stay," the brunet commanded.

There was a huff, and Dipper assumed his boyfriend had adopted the pouting with crossed arms pose he usually took when he got caught for something. Emerging with the sun screen and a beach towel a moment later, he turned back after laying out the towel and was able to confirm that assumption. With a laugh, Dipper stood on his knees on the towel, setting the screen down at his side, and pulled Bill the few [read: three or four] inches down to meet his lips again. "C'mon now, I brought the spray-on kind so it'll only take a minute." He persuaded. "I'll help you build some a sand castle or something afterward, okay?"

Bill snorted. "Don't pretend like you weren't gonna do that anyway, Pine Tree. But fine. Spray me down or whatever."

-»^«-

A few hours later found Dipper reading on his towel, and Bill building a stupidly intricate sand fort around a throne made of nothing but sand. Dipper had helped until Bill had deemed him too incompetent, and relieved him of his duty.

A small group of people had gathered to watch the small blond as he worked, and Dipper could tell he was basking in all the attention even though he ignored the people in favor of perfecting his creation.

Bill's tongue was stuck out in concentration, and he adjusted his custom, triangular sunglasses whenever they slipped down his nose from the sweat that accumulated there. Dipper occasionally glanced over at him; he couldn't deny how absolutely adorable the blond looked when he was focused.

"Aaaaaand," Bill muttered, making a final adjustment to his fort, "Done!" He dropped the cheap, dollar store shovel back into the bucket it came with, standing and brushing himself off. He stepped back, and there was a hesitant smattering of applause from the group of people that had gathered, all of whom looking as though they'd just watched from a safe distance as a volcano erupted on a city. He turned to Dipper and gestured to his sandy creation proudly. "Wha'd'ya think, Pine Tree?"

Dipper looked up from his book. "Are those eldritch horrors devouring innocent creatures while holding up the walls?" He deadpanned.

"Yup!" Bill grinned, pride still evident. He walked around the side to the shorter part of the wall he'd built so that he could get to his throne and did just that, sitting in the sand chair like he was the king of the world.

Dipper rolled his eyes behind his own normal sunglasses, but he had to admit that the craftsmanship was impeccable. "You did good," Dipper allowed, knowing that would stoke the blond's ego enough.

And indeed it did, as Bill grinned smugly, head held high.

-»^«-

Bill groaned loudly as Dipper shut the door to the hotel room behind them. "I have sand in places I didn't even know existed. And I still feel like I'm outside, even though I'm definitely not."

Dipper snorted. "That's probably sunburn. I told you that you should've-"

"Shut up and pamper me, Pine Tree," Bill grumbled, making grabby hands at the tall brunet.